In order to help protect your company from cyber security threats, we recommend following these 5 Tips for Cyber Security in 2019.
In the past year, the IT industry witnessed a significant increase in cyber security attacks, phishing scams, and hacking. With cyber security threats and foreign hacking occurring at the highest level, we predict that cyber security will be a hot topic among top executives in 2019; furthermore, we can expect to see more companies investing heavily in their IT departments and cyber security protection plans in order to prevent threats from occurring.
As referenced in a recent Forbes’ article on cyber security predictions for 2019, we saw large multinational corporations and organizations (Facebook, Amazon, Delta Airlines, etc.) become victims of cyber security threats over the past year, making it clear that companies of all sizes are prone to these types of attacks.
At EC Managed IT, we understand how important it is to ensure that your company’s cyber security is up to date and relevant to 2019. That is why our team of IT experts have put together 5 tips for cyber security in 2019 to help you proactively protect your business from potential cyber threats.
1. Develop a Cyber Security Best Practices Policy
In 2019, businesses of all shapes and sizes, no matter where they are located or what industry they are in, need to maintain a strong security policy in order to ensure that important business information is as secure as possible. The best way to do this is to implement an initiative that covers cybersecurity best practices or computer security best practices and can be rolled out company wide. It is important to make sure that every employee is kept up to date with the business’ security policy, protocols, and standards. All protocols should be put into writing, so that new employees are clear on the measures they need to take, and routine checks of employee knowledge should also be performed to ensure all security standards are being met.
2. Secure Your Login Credentials & Passwords
One of the easiest ways to prevent cyber-attacks on your business is to take extra measures when it comes to securing your login credentials. Consider using the strongest authentication tools available, such as security keys or two-factor authentication.
When it comes to choosing passwords, always create a strong password that is void of any personal information (name, birth date, phone number, etc.) and be sure to use multiple passwords across all of your accounts. Choosing a password that is at least 20 characters in length and includes a combination of upper case letters, lower case letters, number and symbols is a computer security best practice. Proper password management also involves regularly updating your passwords.
3. Create Reliable Backups
Backing up all of your important company data and secure information will help ensure that no files are lost due to a cyber-attack. Working with a reliable IT company to help backup your company information will not only help protect your important information from being erased or stolen but also help protect it from natural disasters.
4. Install Malware Protection
Installing malware protection on your business’ computer network can help prevent hackers from installing malware on your system in order to steal sensitive information about your customers and employees. Anti-malware software is designed to monitor your computer network for any abnormal activity as a means of preventing potential attacks and other threats.
5. Keep Software and Hardware Up to Date
Constantly updating software and hardware, as well as downloading the latest patches, is crucial to preventing malicious entities from exploiting weaknesses in your computer network. Consider using automated endpoint management, which is both convenient and cost effective, coupled with actively monitoring your hardware and software to create the strongest line of defence.
If you would like to learn more about these 5 tips for cyber security in 2019, or if you are interested in one of our IT services, please contact EC Managed IT at 604-888-7904 or request a consultation online.
